TTC warns a glass of wine will put women drivers over limit

Dec 22, 2016

Drinking one glass of wine can put a woman over the legal drink drive limit, the TTC Group has warned.

The warning comes after Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s comment that the Government would not reduce the limit from 80mg to 50mg similar to most countries because they did not want to penalise motorists for simply having “a glass of wine at the pub.”

But the TTC Group, which runs rehabilitation courses for convicted drink drivers, says a single glass of 250ml of wine as served in pubs, will put women over the legal limit. The reason for highlighting women is that they have about 15% more fat and less water to dilute alcohol. Women therefore reach a higher level of breath/blood alcohol than a man of the same body weight drinking the same amounts.

“Alcohol strengths vary in different glass sizes. It is not so simple as to say a glass of wine is OK because it’s not,” said TTC Group director Alan Prosser.

“Our advice and that of the Transport Department’s own THINK! campaign is to have none for the road. Even a small amount of alcohol can impair driving judgement and ability.”

More than 200 motorists die each year due to drink driving and motorists with a blood alcohol level between 50mg and 80mg are six times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash. They are also twice likely to be involved in a traffic incident, the TTC Group says.

The TTC Group has been campaigning for a reduction in the drink drive limit for many years, together with a wide range of road safety organisations, including Brake, RAC, and the AA.